Count Illarion Ivanovich Vorontsov-Dashkov (1837-1916) was the last notable representative of the Vorontsov family. He served as Minister of Imperial Properties in 1881-97 and the General Governor of Caucasus in 1905-15.
Illarion Vorontsov was born on 27 May 1837 in St. Petersburg. He took part in the conquest of Central Asia in the 1860s and was appointed Major General in 1866. He was in charge of the Hussar regiment of the Leub Guard in 1867-74. He was on friendly terms with the future Alexander III of Russia and, following his father's assassination, established a counter-revolutionary squad, or "holy druzhina", whose members included Konstantin Pobedonostsev, Nicholas Pavlovich Ignatiev, and Mikhail Katkov.
Alexander III put Vorontsov-Dashkov in charge of the imperial court and made him Full General of Cavalry. He also was made responsible for imperial stud farms and vineyards. Following Nicholas II's coronation, he was dislodged from the office of Minister of Imperial Properties but was appointed to the State Council of Imperial Russia instead. The Russian Revolution of 1905 recalled Vorontsov to active service, and he ascended to the helm of the Viceroyalty of the Caucasus.[1]
His job drove him close to a mental breakdown. On 21 November 1905 twenty-five Azeris were shot by Armenians in Tiflis. Illarion was so desperate he gave 500 guns to the Mensheviks to keep the peace.[2]
He was officially in charge of the victorious Russian forces in the Battle of Sarikamis during the early months of World War I, although the effective command lay with General Alexander Myshlayevsky. In September 1915 he was removed from command and replaced with Grand Duke Nicholas.[3] He died on 15 January 1916 in his Alupka Palace.